Lesley Lee, from Dumfries, was driving south in a lorry when she came across the scene.
“All I saw was about six to eight cars in the central reservation and hard shoulder,” she said.
“Looked like everyone was out of their vehicles.”
Then, after about another 400 yards, she said she came across another three or four cars – one in the central reservation and the rest on the hard shoulder.
“I also spotted cars and a lorry going down the slip road to Johnstonebridge services with hazards on and sliding as they tried to go downhill,” she said.
“Also, a lorry and car on the opposite side had pulled onto the hard shoulder as a car was up the embankment.
“As I pulled away from the second accident I felt the trailer on my lorry slide and realised it was black ice which must have been the cause.”